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12:38 AM

Russian shelling in Donetsk Oblast kills 1, injures 1.

Russian forces shelled Donetsk Oblast on Sept. 23, killing an elderly woman and injuring one man, the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office reported to Suspilne news.

11:51 PM

Russian forces shell Sumy Oblast, killing 1.

The Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on Sept. 23 that Russian forces shelled populated areas along the border of Sumy Oblast 21 times throughout the day, killing one person.

10:43 PM

Lavrov claims Moscow open to negotiations, not ceasefire.

Speaking at the U.N. on Sept. 23, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Moscow was open to negotiations with Ukraine but not a ceasefire.

10:15 PM

Ukrainian forces down 2 Orlan-10 drones over Mykolaiv Oblast.

The Ukrainian military's Southern Command reported on Sept. 23 that two Russian Orlan-10 drones were shot down over Mykolaiv Oblast by Ukraine's air defense.

8:37 PM

Zelensky presents state awards to Polish volunteers.

President Volodymyr Zelensky presented state awards to two Polish volunteers during a stop in Lublin, Poland, on Sept. 23 for their efforts in supporting Ukraine's war effort.

7:55 PM

Shymhal, Pritzker hold first meeting.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the first U.S. Special Representative for Economic Recovery in Ukraine Penny Pritzker had their first online meeting on Sept. 23 to discuss energy, demining, housing restoration, critical infrastructure, and the economy.

7:48 PM

Reintegration Minister urges Ukrainians to leave Crimea until liberation.

Reintegration Minister Iryna Vereshchuk urged Ukrainians to leave Russian-occupied Crimea until it is liberated from Russian occupation.

6:59 PM

IAEA: Previously reported mines remain at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

The monitoring mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has observed previously reported anti-personnel mines at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Rafael Grossi, the agency's director general, said in a statement on Sept. 23.

6:00 PM

Media: UK has back channel for talks with Russia over global security.

U.K. officials have been holding diplomatic talks with key Russian representatives concerning global security during Russia’s war against Ukraine, a British newspaper iNews reported on Sept. 23, citing its diplomatic sources.

5:31 PM

Update: Russian attacks kill 1, injure 2 in Kherson Oblast.

Russian forces dropped an explosive from a drone on Mykolaivka village in Kherson Oblast, heavily injuring a 78-year-old man, the regional military administration reported on Sept. 23.

4:54 PM

Zelensky discusses Russia-backed groups with Sudan's leader during unplanned meeting.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had an “unplanned meeting” with Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, an army general and de-facto ruler of the African country, on Sept. 23.

4:08 PM

FT: US decided to provide Ukraine with ATACMS ahead of Zelensky’s visit.

U.S. President Joe Biden has decided to provide Ukraine with long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) before President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent visit to the U.S., the Financial Times reported on Sept. 23, citing sources familiar with the matter.

3:17 PM

UPDATE: 1 killed, 32 injured in Russian Sept. 22 strike on Kremenchuk.

The number of injured in the Russian Sept. 22 attack on Kremenchuk has grown to 32, Oleh Liednik, the head of the Kremenchuk District Military Administration, told Suspline media outlet on Sept. 23.

2:41 PM

Ex-Wagner group commander arrested in Norway for attempting to illegally cross back into Russia.

Andrey Medvedev, the former Wagner Group commander who made headlines in January 2023 for escaping to Norway in a bid to seek asylum, was arrested by Norwegian authorities near Kirkenes after trying to cross back into Russia.

1:31 PM

Military: Ukraine has achieved a breakthrough in Verbove.

Ukraine's forces on the southern Zaporizhzhia front have breached Russian lines in Verbove, General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of Ukraine's military fighting in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, said in an interview with CNN on Sept. 23.

12:39 PM

Duda: Grain dispute will not disrupt good relations between Poland, Ukraine.

The disagreement over grain exports should not upend Polish-Ukrainian relations, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Sept. 22.

12:00 PM

Nagorno-Karabakh

Dozens arrested as protests in Yerevan continue.

In the aftermath of the capitulation of ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, a number of protesters were detained in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on Sept. 22, RF/ERL’s Armenian service reported.

9:59 AM

Twelve Shahed drones downed over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, no injuries reported.

Twelve Shahed-type drones used by Russian forces were shot down overnight on Sept. 22 by Ukrainian air defenses, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak reported on his official Telegram channel.

9:20 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 275,460 troops in Ukraine.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 4,655 tanks, 8,912 armored fighting vehicles, 8,716 vehicles and fuel tanks, 6,210 artillery systems, 789 multiple launch rocket systems, 530 air defense systems, 315 airplanes, 316 helicopters, 4,867 drones, and 20 warships or boats.

6:37 AM

Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov speaks out against Russian invasion.

During an interview with YouTube blogger Yuri Dud published on Sept. 21, Russian hockey player Nikita Zadorov openly criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Nikita is originally from Moscow and currently plays as defencemen for the Calgary Flames.

3:38 AM

UPDATE: 9 people killed, 16 injured in Ukrainian attack against Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters.

At least 9 people were killed and 16 were injured as a result of Ukraine's attack against the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol on Sept. 22, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, told news outlet Voice of America. Russian generals are among the casualties.

3:10 AM

Russia attacks Sumy Oblast 17 times in one day.

Russian forces shelled ten communities in Sumy Oblast, firing 17 times over the course of the day, causing 75 explosions, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on Sept. 22.

1:54 AM

Reuters: Russian hackers target war crimes probes in Ukraine.

Russian spies are using hackers to target computer systems at law enforcement agencies in Ukraine as means to identify and obtain evidence related to alleged Russian war crimes, Ukraine's cyber defense chief, Yurii Shchyhol, told Reuters on Sept. 22.

1:07 AM

Russian state media: Nagorno-Karabakh forces begin to hand over weapons, military equipment.

The armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh have begun to hand over weapons, ammunition and armored vehicles, Russian state-controlled media reported on Sept. 22, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense.

12:44 AM

Canada imposes 63 sanctions against Russian individuals, entities.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced 63 sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Canada, news outlet European Pravda reported on Sept. 22.

MORE NEWS

Ukraine strikes Russian military base of drone operators

General: Ukraine had only 1,500 soldiers in south when Russia launched full-scale invasion

Uncertain Triumph: Ukraine picks apart Russia's best air defenses in Crimea

UK Defense Ministry: Thousands of Russian airborne troops redeployed to Robotyne as infantry

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Defense Ministry: Russian forces prepare for possible hostilities in Crimea

by Alexander Khrebet July 8, 2023 11:45 PM 2 min read

A plume of smoke rises from the site of a drone strike in the harbor of occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, on Oct. 29, 2022. (Benjamin Pittet/Twitter)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Russia is fortifying its defenses in occupied Crimea to prepare for a potential Ukrainian advance, the Defense Ministry’s Military Media Center reported on July 8.

Fortifications have reportedly been erected in the northern, western, and eastern parts of the occupied peninsula. According to the center, Russia has also reinforced the region's isthmuses, a narrow piece of land connecting mainland Ukraine with the peninsula.

Russia occupied the Crimean Peninsula in early 2014, and has been using it to launch missiles against Ukraine and as a logistic route to transfer equipment to the southern battlefield.

The U.K. Defense Ministry reported on June 21 that Russia reinforces positions in southern Ukraine, specifically with a nine-kilometer defense zone near the land bridge between Crimea and Kherson Oblast.

Meanwhile, Russian forces are also focusing on defending its warships and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov naval bases, Military Media Center reported.

Russian military facilities and infrastructure sites that could be used by Russian forces in Crimea have been targeted in recent months. Ukraine does not claim responsibility for these attacks.

Moscow began to build fortifications in Crimea and the occupied part of Kherson Oblast, preparing for possible Ukrainian advances in the south in mid-November last year, just after Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson.

Ukraine has set itself the goal of total liberation of the occupied territories, including Crimea.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 2, the Ukrainian Navy Day, that if Russian warships stay in the Black Sea, they will fear to get close to Crimea.

Alexander Khrebet

Reporter

Alexander Khrebet is a reporter with the Kyiv Independent. He covers Ukraine’s foreign policy, alleged abuse of power in the country’s military leadership, and reports on the Russian-occupied territories. Alexander is the European Press Prize 2023 winner, the #AllForJan Award 2023 winner and Ukraine's 2022 National Investigative Journalism Award finalist. His was published in the Washington Times and Atlantic Council.

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